Social Care
Lack of social care plans could ‘destabilise’ reforms
Local authority leaders have warned that the absence of a long-term, fully funded plan for social care could destabilise other health and care reforms.
Call for tax hike to fund social care
A commission led by The Lancet and London School of Economics has argued for a 1p increase to income tax, National Insurance and VAT to enable annual funding increases of 4%.
It’s time to secure the future of social care, says Lord Bob Kerslake
Lord Bob Kerslake hands on the presidency of the LGA to Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson in July. The social care system and its funding is an urgent priority that must be addressed now, he believes.
Further delays for social care reform
Social care reform faces further delays after rumours that the chancellor and Prime Minister are concerned at the £5bn bill to fund more generous capping limits.
Social care reform proposals will come later this year, pledges Hancock
The Government will be bringing forward proposals later this year for the reform of social care, says secretary of state for health and care Matt Hancock.
Town halls told: Don't depend on COVID cash
Councils need to wean themselves of COVID cash to fund social care before it runs out at the end of June, a director has warned.
Care Act easements end
Emergency powers allowing councils to suspend Care Act requirements during the pandemic have been scrapped.
Sleep-in shifts legal battle ends
A long-running legal challenge by care workers over pay worth £400m has been rejected by the Supreme Court.
Hancock's half hour to ease sector concerns
Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock has attempted to ease local government concerns about far-reaching NHS legislation plans.
Health and care White Paper sends 'wrong message'
Further regulation and intervention will not improve social care, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
MPs attack 'broken' council funding
The Government has promised reform of the system of financing local authorities.
White Paper plans to radically reform the NHS
Council leaders have warned that local government needs to be an equal partner in the design of any national oversight of social care as the Government publishes its White Paper plans to overhaul the NHS.
Government should invest wisely to harness ‘robot power’
Steve Carefull examines how we can create the conditions for initiatives such as cobots to be scaled into the mainstream to mitigate the UK’s social care workforce challenge.
Pushing for real reform
The pandemic was a game changer for the central/local government relationship, says Joanne Roney, who has started her two-year stint as president of Solace.
Give districts full freedoms on precepts
Why not remove precepts entirely for all local authorities and leave increases to be determined at the (local) ballot box, says The MJ's new Money Matters' columnist Tracy Bingham.
PM wants councils to ‘lead the fight’ on vaccinations
The Prime Minister has promised councils will receive data on the COVID-19 vaccination programme in their areas within days.
Our new beginning is here – let’s not make a meal of it
There are some major hurdles ahead, says Heather Jameson. 'Government’s quick fixes – to raise council tax precepts and push councils towards commercialism – now cause more problems than they solve', she adds.
Scottish councils call for fair funding to avoid 'damaging consequences'
Council leaders in Scotland have called for an end to small ring-fenced pots of funding and no cap on council tax in this year’s Budget.
Warning over integrated care plan
Proposals to merge health bodies into larger regional integrated care systems (ICS) are ‘in danger of missing the real prize of collaborative place-based leadership,’ councils have warned.
Give local councils freedoms on workforce vaccination
Councils need the freedoms and flexibilities to determine which parts of their workforce should be prioritised for vaccination, whether they fit the official ‘key worker’ definition or not, says Paul Najsarek.
